Virgin America's new Red Beta in-flight entertainment, which is launching this month, was built on Android-based software. "It gives us a platform to really innovate and draw up new capabilities and new features and bring them to all of our guests on a much faster basis," said Virgin America's Ken Bieler.

Visually impaired passengers on Air Canada's Boeing 787s will be able to access the in-flight entertainment via new technology that lets them navigate the system with the help of audio cues. The Panasonic Avionics eX3 system turns text into speech -- in both French and English -- and passengers can use handsets and touch screens to follow prompts. The new offering enhances Air Canada's groundbreaking text-to-speech IFE offering for the visually impaired.

Lufthansa Systems says its BoardConnect in-flight entertainment offering has become the first wireless IFE system to be approved to offer Early Window Content. BoardConnect had to meet stringent guidelines to earn the right to show the latest Hollywood movies. "The quality and scope of in-flight entertainment is a key service component and strongly influences the overall travel experience," said Norbert Muller, head of BoardConnect program management at Lufthansa Systems.

The introduction of broadband connectivity will allow U.S. airlines to fast-forward and expand their in-flight entertainment offerings in 2012, this feature notes. "While airlines initially viewed in-flight broadband as a competitive differentiator, it is now simply viewed in the U.S. market as a competitive requirement," analyst Amy Cravens said.